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Few things surprise new clients more than this conversation: "I'd like to appoint you as my bookkeeper." "Wonderful. We'll just need some photo ID, proof of address, information about your business, details of ownership..." "Hang on, I thought I was hiring a bookkeeper, not applying for a mortgage!" If you've ever felt that way, you're certainly not alone. One of the questions we're asked most frequently is why we need so much information before we can start working with a cl

If you've ever heard the term P11D and immediately decided it sounded like a problem for future you, you're not alone. For many small business owners, P11Ds are one of those HMRC requirements that only come around once a year and somehow manage to feel both important and confusing at the same time. The good news is that they're actually quite straightforward once you understand what they're for. This guide will explain what a P11D is, who needs one, how to complete it, the ke

Director’s Loan Accounts sound far more complicated than they really are. They also tend to appear in conversations at the exact moment a director says something like: 👉 “I just transferred a bit over to my personal account…” 👉 “I paid for that personally, can the company pay me back?” 👉 “It’s my company, surely I can just take money out?” And this is exactly where the Director’s Loan Account (DLA) comes in although you might also hear them called: A Director’s Loan Accoun

Employee expenses can feel like a bit of a grey area. One person buys materials for a job. Another grabs a book of stamps. Someone else pays for travel and a professional subscription. They all feel like business costs but from a tax and VAT point of view, how you deal with them actually matters. Get it right, and everything is clean and compliant. Get it wrong, and you can accidentally create tax issues, miss VAT claims, or even trigger a benefit in kind. What do we mean by

Depreciation is one of those accounting terms that sounds far more complicated than it actually is. It tends to appear quietly in your accounts, often without much explanation, and can leave business owners wondering: 👉 “I bought that last year… so why is it still showing up now?” 👉 “Why is my profit lower when I haven’t spent anything recently?” Let’s break down what depreciation is, why it exists, and how it works in real life. What is depreciation? In simple terms, depre

Travel and subsistence is one of those areas that feels like it should be simple. If you’re travelling for work, surely you can claim it… right? Well... sometimes yes, sometimes no, and sometimes “it depends” (everyone’s favourite answer). The good news is that while the wording in tax rules varies slightly depending on your setup, the practical outcome is broadly the same. Let's look at: 👉 When is travel genuinely for business? 👉 When does food and accommodation count? 👉

Every now and then, HMRC surprises us. Not often but occasionally. Trivial benefits are one of those rare occasions, a genuinely useful, perfectly legitimate way for directors (and their teams) to enjoy small perks without triggering tax, National Insurance, or extra reporting. Yet, they’re often missed... Let’s change that! What is a trivial benefit? A trivial benefit is a small gift or perk provided by a company that isn’t treated as taxable income. That means: No income ta

Selling online through a marketplace has never been easier. A few photos, a quick description, and suddenly you’ve turned that pile of clothes, gadgets or “I’ll definitely use this one day” items into cash. Platforms like eBay, Vinted and Etsy have made it simple for anyone to sell whether it’s the occasional clear-out or a full-blown side hustle. What’s less obvious, though, is what happens from a tax point of view. While selling online might feel casual, HMRC is paying more

If you’ve ever been in your accounting software and spotted a button labelled “Journal Entry” , you might have had one of two reactions: “That looks important, I’ll leave that alone.” “How hard can it be?” If you’ve leaned towards option two… you’re not alone. Journals are one of those accounting features that sound mysterious, slightly intimidating, and just tempting enough to click when something doesn’t quite balance, but before you go anywhere near that button, let’s brea

Simplified expenses sound like a dream. Less paperwork. Fewer calculations. HMRC-approved shortcuts. What’s not to like? Well… like most things in tax, they’re helpful when used properly . But they’re not always the best option and they don’t suit every situation. Let’s break down what simplified expenses actually are, how they work, and when they might (or might not) be right for you. Who can use simplified expenses? Simplified expenses are available to sole traders and part

Choosing accounting software can feel a bit like choosing a gym membership. You sign up with good intentions, log in a couple of times… and then quietly avoid it because it’s more complicated than you expected. The good news is, it doesn’t have to be like that. For many sole traders, freelancers and contractors, FreeAgent is one of the simplest and most user-friendly options out there. In some cases, you can even get it for free. Let’s take a look at what it is, why we like i

If you’re a sole trader, you’ve probably heard the term “drawings” at some point. It sounds simple enough... Taking money out of the business, right? Well… yes. But also not quite in the way many people think. Drawings are one of those accounting terms that seem obvious until you start looking at profit, tax, and your bank balance. Let’s break it down! . First things first: this is mainly for sole traders Before we go any further, it’s worth saying, drawings apply to sole tr

Stocktaking is one of those jobs that often gets pushed down the list. It ’s not urgent. It’s not glamorous and let’s be honest, counting things rarely tops anyone’s favourite task list. However, if your business holds stock, it’s one of the most important things you can do to understand your numbers properly. Done well, stocktaking gives you clarity. Done badly (or not at all), it can quietly distort your profits, your tax, and your decision-making. Let’s break down why it

When you’re choosing someone to handle your business finances, trust is everything. You’re sharing sensitive information, relying on accurate reporting, and trusting that the person handling your books understands the rules and keeps up with them as they change. That’s one of the reasons our practice is licensed by the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB). Emma is an ICB licensed bookkeeper because she is a member of the ICB and holds the necessary ICB qualifications. Whi

March always feels reflective. International Women’s Day arrives first, celebrating women in business, leadership and progress. A week later, Mother’s Day follows, celebrating women in a very different, deeply personal role. For me, those two dates aren’t separate. They’re connected because my journey into business didn’t happen before motherhood. It happened after. Becoming a mum before building a business I became a mum young. At a time when many people were just starting c

Hospitality is fast-paced, people-focused and often brilliantly chaotic. One minute you’re serving brunch to a full café, the next you’re juggling a last-minute cancellation, a supplier delivery, and someone asking why oat milk costs extra. Behind the scenes, though, the numbers need to make sense. Bookkeeping in hospitality isn’t quite the same as bookkeeping in other industries. There are specific pressure points and if they’re not handled properly, they can quietly cause p

At some point, many business owners look at their to-do list, look at their family, and think: “Hang on… could my business pay them for helping out?” The short answer is: yes, it can if it’s done properly. Paying your children or your spouse through your business can be completely legitimate, tax-efficient, and sensible. It can also be a fast track to HMRC questions if it’s done badly, casually, or a bit… creatively. Let’s talk about: Why people do this What the benefits can

If you’re a sole trader or a landlord, you’ve probably heard the phrase MTD ITSA floating around for a while now. For some people it’s been filed under “future problem”. For others, it’s been quietly ignored in the hope it might go away. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your love of digital admin), it’s very much happening and it’s now less than eight weeks away from becoming mandatory for those with turnover over £50,000. So this feels like a good moment to expla

Changing software is a bit like changing your favourite café. Even if the coffee’s gone downhill and the chairs are wobbly, there’s still a sense of loyalty, habit, and “but I’ve always come here”. That’s pretty much how we felt about QuickBooks. We’d used it for a long time. We liked it. It did a lot of things well. And if I’m being honest, I was genuinely a bit sad to leave it behind. But over time, it became clear that it just wasn’t meeting our needs anymore or, more impo

A guest blog taken from an article by Megan Singleton, Director at Leonard Curtis Over our years of experience advising businesses, there is nothing we have not seen in terms of business distress. A key piece of advice to business owners is to watch for the warning signs - acting early can make all the difference. Here are seven things every business owner should keep in mind if they feel things may be heading in the wrong direction. 1. Don’t bury your head and hope